OpenAL or DirectSound aren't plugins, they're api's and sound backends for the emulator. For plugins, it's either DSP-HLE or DSP-LLE for the choices. At the time, LLE sound isn't very good due to performance issues, static, crackling, popping etc..

The only good think about the OpenAL backend is it's ability to sync audio with video, DirectSound just runs audio as fast as possible and has constant desyncs with video whenever there are framerate drops or any time video is running slower than audio. The downsides to OpenAL is that it is slightly slower than Directsound, there is pauses, stuttering or skipping whenever video is not running at full speed. Syncing is also not completely accurate with OpenAL, as can be seen during cutscenes when voices are not properly synced with the mouth/lip movements of the characters.

(06-08-2010, 01:12 PM)Xtreme2damax Wrote: OpenAL or DirectSound aren't plugins, they're api's and sound backends for the emulator. For plugins, it's either DSP-HLE or DSP-LLE for the choices. At the time, LLE sound isn't very good due to performance issues, static, crackling, popping etc..

The only good think about the OpenAL backend is it's ability to sync audio with video, DirectSound just runs audio as fast as possible and has constant desyncs with video whenever there are framerate drops or any time video is running slower than audio. The downsides to OpenAL is that it is slightly slower than Directsound, there is pauses, stuttering or skipping whenever video is not running at full speed. Syncing is also not completely accurate with OpenAL, as can be seen during cutscenes when voices are not properly synced with the mouth/lip movements of the characters.

I believe the other advantage of OpenAL is that it's cross-platform compatible, which is a fairly big advantage.